WHILE Great Britain enjoyed its best ever Olympics in Beijing athletics was seen as providing a disappointing medal haul - but George Gandy believes the sport is being mis-understood.

And the Loughborough University’s director of athletics thinks Lisa Dobriskey’s fourth place in the 1500m is an example of that with her ‘fantastic race’ being portrayed as a disappointment.

“I think she punched above her weight,” he told the Echo. “I thought she was set up by those people on television that she was going to win a medal.

“She did her fastest ever last 400 metres in 58.9 secs, but the Ukranian who took the bronze was quicker than that.

“The woman who is currently ranked number one in the world and who beat Lisa by three seconds in Lucerne last week could only finish fifth.

“It’s a big ask to win a race when the overall pace is the fastest she has ever been involved in at such a big championship as that. For most people just standing on that track in front of those spectators would be enough to make them want to run to the toilet.

“I text her to say ‘fantastic race’ straight after. She was disappointed but I told her it was like a kid getting 95 per cent on his A-Levels and complaining they didn’t get 100 per cent.

“She did remarkably well for what was her first Olympics.

“I was a bit disappointed for myself as well a bit though as that’s the third successive games one of my athletes has finished fourth.”

Athletics added four medals to Britain’s total, one under their target. With the successes at cycling and other sports that’s left many in the media criticising the sport which culminated in the sacking of performance director Dave Collins.

“I feel a bit sorry for Collins,” Gandy continued. “The only thing he has suffered from is that he does not fully understand the sport.

“It is very difficult for someone who does not have a background in athletics as it is totally different to other sports. Each event is different and has different needs. It’s about individuals.

“Any short comings in that area were not Collins’s fault as they knew he did not have the background when they gave him the job. If anything it should be the people who interviewed him who should lose their job.

“I didn’t agree with all of his ideas but that’s life.

“I think we are participating in an arena that’s unlikely to secure a large number of medals.

“Everybody does athletics. I’m not having a go at cycling as what they have achieved is brilliant but how many countries have a proper velodrome to train on.

“In athletics you have athletes from over 200 countries competing.

“The money is then pumped into those sports where Britain is more likely to get a medal.

“We should celebrate when someone like a Linford Christie wins a gold medal. Sometimes you are going to get a time when you get a host of athletes like Christie, Kelly Holmes, Sally Gunnell etc and when they all come together they will get medals.

“But then if they all retire afterwards you’re not going to win as many medals at the next Olympics as other people have not arrived yet. I think athletics should be judged on rolling standards.”

“Also you can never account for those unforeseen events. Just look at Paula and her injuries.”

Ahead of Dobriskey’s race the BBC commentary team stated that George looked ‘even more nervous than Lisa’ on the morning of the race.

“I don’t get nervous,” he laughs. “If I was nervous I wouldn’t go anywhere near the athletes as a nervous person around them is the last thing they need before a big event.”